Up to 50 percent of individuals over the age of 60 suffer from dysphagia. In the year 2000, there were more than 270,000 patients diagnosed with dysphagia in the Veteran's Affairs (VA) Hospitals alone. Although tens of millions of individuals in the United States suffer from dysphagia, there are few treatments. Treatment options include swallowing therapy, diet restriction, non-oral feeding, and a few invasive surgical options with questionable benefit.
It would be desirable if there were better ways to treat conditions such as dysphagia.